


Dying for Someone Else

by DesperateForRecognition



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternative Perspective, Battle, Internal Monologue, One Shot, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:47:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25979977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesperateForRecognition/pseuds/DesperateForRecognition
Summary: Hilda Valentine Goneril makes her last stand against the Empire's forces on Derdriu.
Kudos: 12





	Dying for Someone Else

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place during Chapter 14 of the Crimson Flower route.

Hilda was quickly losing blood. The open gash on her side saw to that. She was out of vulneraries and there was no healer in sight. Geez, she could really use someone like Marianne right about now… She never did find out what happened to her after the war started. The last thing she heard was that she had returned to Edmund territory. After that she just… disappeared. Just one of the many losses she had suffered in the past 5 years.

She brought Freikugel down on the imperial soldier in front of her. The mighty Heroes’ Relic broke through his helmet and crushed his skull. Blood splattered on her already red-stained visage. 

They were losing. The imperial army was too strong, too well prepared. Even with Claude enlisting the help of the Almyran navy, things were looking grim for the Alliance. Not to mention the Empire had not only the Professor on their frontlines, but the Emperor herself… Those two were forces of nature, taking down everyone and everything on their paths without as much breaking a sweat.

Hilda smashed her axe into another enemy. Claude’s words before the battle ringed in her mind. He had told her to retreat if things looked bad. 

“Don’t worry,” he had said, sporting that particular smirk, “I’ve got everything under control, so don’t let yourself get killed, ok?”

Hilda could tell that Claude did not have everything under control; she had known him for six years, she could tell when he was bluffing. He was just trying to reassure her. 

At one point in her life she would’ve gladly done as he told her. She hated fighting: it was hard, tiresome and dirty. It was pointless, really. But… When she thought about what was at stake, what would happen to the Alliance, to the people that she cared about, if the Empire won… It made her blood boil.

Her allies were falling around her, one by one. Corpses littered the one peaceful streets of the Alliance’s aquatic capital. Derdriu had turned into a bloodbath. She could’ve sworn she saw a familiar white-haired mage on the enemy’s side; an old friend turned enemy. She had no choice but to kill her too and add to the body pile that was steadily forming.

A bright red armor caught her attention: Edelgard was looking straight at her, Aymr in one hand and a shield on the other. Hilda had to admit, she looked quite stunning in her emperor getup. That horned headpiece was both intimidating and graceful. Fitting for someone as beautiful and as savage as her.

There was not a hint of recognition on her face, not even an indication that she was staring down one of her former classmates at the Officer’s Academy. Hilda often wished she could just forget about her time at the Academy; it would sure as hell make things a whole lot easier. But she needed to remember. It helped her realize what she was fighting for.

Edelgard charged at her. Hilda braced herself, holding Freikugel up in a defensive position. With all of that armor weighing her down, Edelgard’s speed must’ve been quite hindered. Hilda was wearing much lighter armor, and she always was fast on her feet. That should be her advantage. If she managed to fell the Emperor herself, right here and now, then maybe this war could end sooner than expected. Of course, they would still have the Professor to deal with, but that could wait.

Hilda dodged Edelgard’s initial swipe and counterattacked. Edelgard caught it with her shield and pushed Hilda back with it, causing her to almost fall down. She shouldn’t underestimate the strength of someone that could lug that giant axe around. She should know; people often underestimated her and her own giant axe. 

Hilda waited for Edelgard to charge again, so she could dodge and attack her from behind. She once again managed to side-step her swing, this time positioning herself at Edelgard’s back. This was it. She raised Freikugel up and… 

The wound she had sustained earlier acted up out of nowhere. It was only for a few seconds, but the distraction proved enough for Edelgard to turn around and strike.

Aymr ripped through her skin. It was not a pretty thing to behold, as the weapon’s sharp and irregular edges made for a rather gruesome wound. Hilda fell down, blood pouring out of her freshly made incision. 

She knew that there was no coming back from this. These last few moments would be her last. There was no need to fight against that which was inevitable. She let go of her weapon and placed her cheek against the floor, closing her eyes.

Funny. Here she was, bleeding out in the middle of a battlefield, and the first thing that came to mind was a conversation she had with the Professor years ago. The Professor had injured himself after taking a blow meant for her. He had risked his life in order to save hers. She had been so angry at that… She couldn’t understand why someone would risk their life for someone else. Once you died, that was it. It was over, forever. How horrible it must feel, to know that someone gave their life for you. She thought she could never do something like that, not in a million years.

Well, look at her now. Here she was, dying for someone else. The same thing she had gotten mad at the Professor for all those years ago. She chuckled, but it quickly developed into a bloody cough. Poor Claude… He must be feeling terrible… An entire nation riding on his shoulders.

“It’s been fun Claude…” She muttered. “Sorry to go so soon…”

* * *

Claude overlooked the battlefield from atop his wyvern, raining arrows down on his enemies with Failnaught. This wasn’t good, not at all. His plan had failed. Even though the Empire had not counted on the Almyran navy, they still managed to gain the upper hand. Claude was certain their success was the Professor’s doing; Claude might’ve been called the Master Tactician, but it seems that not even he was a match for the Ashen Demon.

He quickly surveyed the streets of Derdriu, trying to account for how many men he had lost. Between the corpses, a certain one caught his attention. He felt his heart stop as he recognized the pink-haired woman and the axe lying by her side.

“Hilda! Why didn’t you retreat!?” He cried out, as if expecting the body to respond. It didn’t, of course. “I counted on you retreating…”

Claude gritted his teeth and gripped his bow tightly. He had no time to grieve, the imperial army main force was quickly approaching him. He wasn’t one to pray; he believed that leaving your fate in the hands of a god was no way to win a war. But, at this moment, he had no choice but to do just that.

“Let’s see what fate has in store for me,” he said before going to meet his enemies.


End file.
